k frames and magnum rounds

[Muley Gil]

"My own department was a good example. Until the mid-late '70's (1970's to you youngsters) officer would use two guns to qualify and carry with.

As PPC was big back then they would show up with highly tuned target guns for range qualification. Then they would walk off the range, shove their duty gun back in the holster and go on duty without firing a shot."

My department had several officers who did similar things. Several detectives would carry J frame Smiths or M59s day in and day out on duty, and then on range day, show up with K38s or 6" Pythons.

Finally, the rules got changed to shooting with duty guns ONLY.

 

[blujax01]

dfariswheel: "I plan on protecting it by shooting only heavier Magnum bullets and doing most of my shooting with .38 Special ammo."

notsofast: "I won't shoot any bazooka powered charges with it or any bullets lighter than 158 gr. That's my approach other people may disagree."

I wouldn't disagree with either of you folks.

You are stating what you will or will not do with your own gun and that's cool. My problem is with the preachers who say "if you want your gun to last, you need to ..." or similar without the benefit of facts.

 

[TxCol]

Many of us in law enforcement in the 70s or 80s were advised by department armorers that K frame smiths could crack a frame AND that usually happened with a heavy diet of 125 gr .357 Mag factory loads. Advice was practice with .38sp or 158 gr .357 mag. sight in with 125 gr. Mag and only shoot a few. As training requirements went up most departments started requiring only the duth gun and duty ammo could be used for qualification. The 125 gr. .357 mag was very hard on both the gun and the shooter. The L frame had more weight and a tougher design for shooting the 125 gr .357mag. Soon auto fever made the issue unimportant.

In ALL of my K-frames (that are made for .357) I shoot the 125 gr load enough to know where it will hit, but I do not shoot them often.

my .02

Doc

 

[Hannibal Barca]

When I saw this kind of post I wonder what about those J frames chambered in .357 Magnum.

I know almost nobody is going to shoot a lot .357 Magnum loads in a J frame revolver, but if the K frame is weak for a constant diet of .357 loads (at least weak for some loads), how will the J frames .357 Magnum be?

 

[blujax01]

I shot one chamber of .357 in a J-Frame (M60) and knew then and there I would never own such a gun. My J Frame is chambered in .38 spl -an M36.

 

[ruger-p94]

I have just reloaded about 1000 rounds of 158 grain with 7 grains of Unique for my Model 13-3. I'm also 64 years old so I am not going to worry to much about the cone. I figure I will be gone before the cone cracks. For me the 158 grain is meant for the K frame. It shoots nice and I am sure S&W would have done something about it if there was a problem. If I wanted to fire a 38 I would have bought one....come to think of it I did....that age thing again...

 

[6mmman]

Back in the 70's I loaded 125jhp over 19.5 grains of Hercules 2400 for shooting in N frames. I am pretty sure these loads would have caused problems in K frame guns. I think that any factory loads today are not likely to beat a K frame to bad.